New Exercise and Fitness Review
The fit life can be a lot more fun and easier to maintain with the right trunk of gear. Sure, you can lace up some old kicks, shove your gym clothes into a plastic bag, and haul your rump to the gym, but c’mon—it’s the 21st century. Better technology and gear make our lives easier—and a lot cooler, like we’re on the set of a very fitness-oriented “Minority Report.”
We pulled together this 2014 Fitness Tech Guide to showcase a state-of-the-art arsenal of tools, gadgets, and gizmos that will electrify your fitness lifestyle. From the best fitness tracker to the best running shoes to the best workout earbuds, you’re sure to find something useful to get your fitness on in any scenario.
In The Kitchen
1 Craft Coffee
Hey, coffee lover, try this monthly subscription for access to expertly chosen beans that are delivered right to you. Each customizable shipment comes with three 4-ounce bags from different roasters, accompanied by brewing tips.
www.craftcoffee.com
2 Aerobie Aeropress Coffee
and Espresso Maker
This innovative coffee maker uses a specific water temperature and applied air pressure to produce a perfect cup of coffee. Clean-up is a cinch and you get a freshly brewed cup within minutes—great for people on morning workout schedules!
www.aerobie.com
3 Baratza Encore Coffee
Grinder
If you’re serious about your coffee, a good grinder like the Encore ensures you’ll get a fresh and better-tasting brew right in your own home. Plus, freshly ground beans smell oh-so-magnificent.
www.baratza.com
4 The Orange Chef Co.
Prep Pad
This sleek, metallic beauty is meant to live on your kitchen counter like a gadget straight out of “The Fifth Element.” When paired with the Countertop app , it helps you create the perfect meal according to your macronutrients.
www.theorangechef.com
5 Quirky Egg Minder
Hail, eggheads! Never run out of eggs or eat old eggs again. (Pro tip: Eggs are actually edible for a lot longer than the expiration dates let on, as long as they’ve been refrigerated.)
www.amazon.com
6 BT Kitchen
Thermometer
This Bluetooth-enabled kitchen thermometer lets you know when your food is ready without the added risk of burning yourself. Ah, the conveniences of the modern age!
www.idevicesinc.com
7 Vitamix 5200 Standard
Blender
The last blender you’ll ever need. The Vitamix’s powerful motor will make your favorite protein smoothies out of anything your heart desires—even wood chips.
www.vitamix.com
8 Obsessive Chef Cutting
Board
Now you can cut precisely how much you want, and not a sliver more. While some might call this mathematical cutting board OCD, it’s really all about helping with portion control.
www.amazon.com
9 Belkin WeMo Slow
Cooker
The beauty of a slow cooker is that you set it and forget it. Now, instead of actually forgetting it, you can get a reminder on your phone or adjust the cooking time and temperature from anywhere. It works with both Android and iOS devices.
www.belkin.com
In The Gym
1 2XU Compression Shorts
Some folks might chuckle at first when you wear tight compression shorts around the gym, but they won’t be laughing when you clear a 400-pound squat without a belt.
www.2xu.com
2 SimpliFit
This isn’t your average fitness app. It helps build the necessary habits for long-term success in eating, exercising, sleeping, or anything else a person needs to achieve the fit life.
www.getsimplifit.com
3 Samsung NX
Mini Camera
If you’ve ever wished that your phone’s selfie photos could be higher quality, Samsung has answered your prayers with the NX Mini. It allows you to take high-quality photos and 1080p HD video that you can instantly share via social media or email.
www.amazon.com
4 Bose SIE2 Sport
Headphones
The last thing you want during an intense workout session is for your earbuds to flop out of your ear like a slippery trout. The Bose SIE2 buds are designed specifically for the active individual and even include a nifty armband to hold your music device during exercise.
www.bose.com
5 Amiigo Wristband
Amiigo—your amigo in the gym—lets you do more than just track calories burned, sleep, and steps. It’s like a digital workout journal that helps you measure and track specific exercises, reps, and sets.
www.amiigo.com
6 Adipower
Weightlifting Shoes
If you’re moving serious weight over your head, you need to invest in the proper footwear. Not only do these Adipower weightlifting shoes look awesome, they provide all the stability and support you need for heavy lifts. Look like a pro, lift like a pro.
www.adidas.com
7 iPhone 6
Even though this beauty won’t be out until late 2014, it’s worth including on any tech guide. The phone that changed the game will have a bigger screen and beefed-up tech. Alas, Siri may be able to help you find the gym, but she probably won’t be able to spot you.
www.apple.com
8 FitBit Aria
Smart Scale
The Aria tracks weight and body fat percentage, and wirelessly puts all of this data in neat graphs to help you stay motivated and in charge.
www.fitbit.com
9 Under Armour Alter
Ego Compression Shirt
Under Armour’s extremely geeky but super-stylish compression shirts will make anyone look like a badass. Perhaps this is how Clark Kent feels when he works out?
www.underarmour.com
At Work
1 Compleat Foodskin
Keep your sandwich secure and free from being squished with this ultra-flexible lunchbox. Who wants to eat a smashed, soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich, anyway?
www.unikia.com
2 Lenovo ThinkPad T440s
Lenovo is a veteran among business laptops. The ThinkPad T440s combines years of proven design and functionality with contemporary technology. The result is a touch screen-enabled ultrabook packed with a slew of features to get your work done in the office and on the road.
www.lenovo.com
3 Harman Kardon
BT Headset
These headphones fold down so you can easily take them to and from the break room. The sleek design makes you look super-hip while you listen to your tunes through one of the best-sounding Bluetooth headsets around.
www.harmankardon.com
4 Beastie Massage Ball
Sore muscles at work, begone! This discreet self-massage tool will help you get to those particularly hard-to-get tight muscles while you’re answering emails.
www.bodybuilding.com
5 Bose SoundLink
Bluetooth Speaker III
The third iteration of Bose’s portable sound system boasts sick bass for those times when you want to have a dance party at work.
www.bose.com
6 Fairwear COOLMAX
Dress Shirt
No longer must you put up with embarrassing pit stains on your dress shirts. Fairwear’s COOLMAX technology will have your shirt looking fresh and fine, even after biking to work in 90-degree weather.
www.fairwear.co
7 Zojirushi
Stainless Mug
This stainless steel travel mug keeps its contents at the right temperature for hours. Your iced tea will still cool you down on a sweltering summer day even if you’ve left it in the car. In the winter, coffee left in this mug will warm you right up on nippy mornings.
www.zojirushi.com
8 Moov
This fitness tracking device combines style and function. With all the bells and whistles (and more) of your average tracker, Moov looks more like a sleek wristwatch that still reminds you to get up when you’ve been sitting on your bum for too long.
www.moov.cc
9 Samsung Curved
65-inch Smart TV
4K TVs are the future, they say. Who’s they? Who knows, but what matters is that you can now see every muscle fiber twitch in Ultra HD resolution. Plus, this beauty has 3D playback capabilities—3D is still in, right?
www.amazon.com
Out And About
1 6 Pack Fitness
Innovator Travel Bag
The large Innovator eliminates the need to bring towers of Tupperware wherever you go. Stylish, functional, and ingenious, this bag will travel with you—and your fitness fuel—wherever you go.
www.bodybuilding.com
2 Proof Boise
Wood Sunglasses
These glasses are proof that you can be functional, stylish, and eco-friendly all at the same time. They’re handmade from sustainably sourced wood, water resistant, and come with polarized lenses for the outdoors enthusiast. #iwantproof
www.iwantproof.com
3 Clean Bottle Square
The beauty of this square-shaped bottle is that it won’t try to roll away from you like those other rotund bottles. Plus, the cap can be unscrewed from both ends to ensure the Clean Bottle doesn’t deliver metallic, funky-tasting water.
www.cleanbottle.com
4 Cannondale CAAD10 3
Ultegra Racing Bike
Combining a sturdy, light frame and an awesome group set at this price point, the CAAD10 3 is an intense set of wheels for cyclists of various levels.
www.cannondale.com
5 Newton Gravity III
Trainer
Make no mistake: The Gravity III will feel awkward at first, especially with technology like “actuator lungs” to promote natural footstrikes when running. If you’ve been curious about more low-profile minimalist shoes, this is a lightweight shoe that promotes midfoot striking without forcing your body into noticeable form changes.
www.newtonrunning.com
6 Zoot Recovery 2.0
CRx Socks
These socks use compression to promote blood flow and oxygenation throughout the lower legs, helping with recovery—especially for distance runners. The compression also helps warm up muscles in colder months.
www.zootsports.com
7 TNF Kilowatt Jacket
Whatever you’re doing in the great outdoors, be sure to take a “light” jacket you can rely on to resist moisture, wind, and other nasty elements while you get fit.
www.backcountry.com
8 GoFit Sandbag Set
When you want to mix up your workout, the GoFit sandbag set provides the versatility to give you a great conditioning workout in or out of the gym. Do carries, overhead presses, front squats, and more—get creative!
www.bodybuilding.com
Travel
1 Hydra Cup Dual
Shaker Cup
Sometimes we want unmixed aminos and protein—along with keys, snacks, and our phone—all in the same cup&mdash. Is that too much to ask? Behold, the future of shaker cups.
www.bodybuilding.com
2 Nike+ SportWatch GPS
Fitness devices are all the rage these days, but once in a while a specialized running watch comes along that truly electrifies your run. Distance, elevation, location, pace, and even automatic run-reminders—it tracks it all.
www.nike.com
3 DeLorme inReach Explorer
Satellite Messenger
Feel like a NASA scientist as you wander through unfamiliar territory—and find your way back. This award-winning device lets you create routes, see detailed GPS tracks, send emergency signals if needed, and more.
www.rei.com
4 iPad Air
The iPad was a game-changer, but the lighter Air makes this tablet a wonderfully ergonomic and convenient device for watching our trainers.
www.apple.com
5 GoPro Hero3+ Camera
The Hero3+ is your go-to for capturing the excitement of a workout, a sporting event, or just hanging out. This action camera is highly versatile with a variety of attachments to let you put the camera on anything—even your head.
www.gopro.com
6 LifeProof Fre Cases
The Fre cases from LifeProof are sturdy and awesome for bulletproofing your phone from the mishaps of life and lifting. Just don’t deliberately drop a 45-pound plate on your smart phone.
www.lifeproof.com
2014 Fitness Tech Guide
No comments:
Post a Comment